***Official Political Discussion Thread***

Edit: Note that NBC News corrected the Cohen report.
https://apnews.com/02654755a4464a05b7fe68cc507a45d0
NBC News corrects story on monitoring Cohen’s phones

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/do...d-trump-lawyer-michael-cohen-s-phones-n871011
Feds tapped Trump lawyer Michael Cohen's phones
At least one phone call between a phone line associated with Cohen and the White House was intercepted, a source said.
Federal investigators have wiretapped the phone lines of Michael Cohen, the longtime personal lawyer for President Donald Trump who is under investigation for a payment he made to an adult film star who alleged she had an affair with Trump, according to two people with knowledge of the legal proceedings involving Cohen.

It is not clear how long the wiretap has been authorized, but NBC News has learned it was in place in the weeks leading up to the raids on Cohen's offices, hotel room, and home in early April, according to one person with direct knowledge.



At least one phone call between a phone line associated with Cohen and the White House was intercepted, the person said.

Previously, federal prosecutors in New York have said in court filings that they have conducted covert searches on multiple e-mail accounts maintained by Cohen.

Spokespeople for the U.S. Attorney's Office and the FBI in New York declined comment.

After the raid, members of Trump's legal team advised the president not to speak to Cohen, according to a person familiar with the discussion.


Two sources close to Trump's newest attorney, Rudolph Giuliani, say he learned that days after the raid the president had made a call to Cohen, and told Trump never to call again out of concern the call was being recorded by prosecutors.

Giuliani told Fox News Wednesday night that Trump repaid Cohen the $130,000 he used to keep the adult film star, Stormy Daniels, from going public with allegations about her affair with Trump.

Giuliani is also described as having warned Trump that Cohen is likely to flip on him, something Trump pushed back on, telling Giuliani that he has known Cohen for years and expects him to be loyal, according to two sources with direct knowledge of the conversations.

Giuliani and a lawyer for Cohen, Steve Ryan, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The White House referred NBC News to outside counsel.

It is unclear what incriminating information Cohen could give prosecutors on Trump, if he chose to cooperate. He represented Trump and the Trump Organization in its business dealings for nearly two decades before Trump became president. Special counsel Robert Mueller is interested in any information that federal investigators in New York may pick up that would be relevant to his investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.


Cohen has previously said publicly that he would invoke his Fifth Amendment rights if subpoenaed to avoid incriminating himself before a grand jury and there is no indication from public filings that Cohen is cooperating in the probe.

The Cohen investigation is being led by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Manhattan and the FBI. Investigators are looking into the $130,000 transaction between Cohen and adult film star Stormy Daniels, also known as Stephanie Clifford, who allegedly had an affair with Trump more than a decade ago, and a reported payment of $150,000 from American Media Inc., publishers of the National Enquirer, to a second woman who allegedly had an affair with Trump, Playboy model Karen McDougal.

The White House has denied allegations of the affairs.

Investigators are also seeking information about the 2005"Access Hollywood" tape in which Donald Trump was heard making vulgar boasts about women.


The bureau's interest in the "Access Hollywood" tape, on which Trump bragged to host Billy Bush that he would grab women "by the p---y," was first reported by the New York Times. "Access Hollywood" is an NBC Universal television program.

Material seized from Cohen's office, hotel room and home included taped conversations, as well as cellphones and hard drives.

Cohen has asserted in court that much of the material gleaned in the raids should be protected from the eyes of prosecutors under attorney-client privilege.

Former U.S. Attorney Chuck Rosenberg, now an NBC News analyst, says there's a high bar for having a wiretap approved.


"The affidavits are typically highly detailed and carefully vetted by experienced lawyers," he said. "In all cases the wiretap must be approved by a federal judge."

Rosenberg said that wiretaps are usually approved for an investigation into a current crime and not solely for possible crimes that have been committed in the past.

"This is an exacting process where the government must demonstrate to a federal judge that there is an ongoing crime."
Click to expand...
 
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There seems to be a recurring pattern here of wanting to investigate/impeach/fire just about every investigator probing something related to Trump.
http://thehill.com/homenews/adminis...uliani-calls-for-sessions-to-step-in-on-cohen
Giuliani calls for Sessions to 'step in' on Cohen investigation
Rudy Giuliani called for Attorney General Jeff Sessions to intervene in the Michael Cohen case and put the people behind the probe “under investigation” in a phone call with The Hill on Thursday.
“I am waiting for the Attorney General to step in, in his role as defender of justice, and put these people under investigation,” Giuliani said, reacting to an NBC News report that phones belonging to Cohen, President Trump’s longtime personal attorney, had been tapped by investigators.
The former New York City mayor argued that the reported wiretapping of Cohen, if true, was a blatant transgression of attorney-client privilege.



Giuliani, who joined President Trump’s personal legal team about two weeks ago, predicted that Trump would share his anger at the reported wiretapping, though he said he had not yet spoken to the president about it.

When he does so, Giuliani predicted, “He is going to say to me, ‘Isn’t there an attorney-client privilege?’ And I am going to tell him, ‘No, the Department of Justice seems to want to trample all over the Constitution of the United States.’ ”

Giuliani’s explosive comments further heighten the stakes in the legal battles in which Trump is enmeshed.

It is extraordinary, by any measure, for a member of the president’s personal legal team to suggest that the attorney general should intervene in an investigation that affects the president.

But Giuliani said that a wiretapping of Cohen would amount to “gross misconduct” by the government. He further alleged that “this case has been surrounded by numerous acts” that fit that description.

Giuliani added sarcastically, “And they don’t even notify us? I mean, he’s only the president of the United States.”

The NBC News report stated that it was "not clear how long the wiretap has been authorized” on Cohen but that it was “in place in the weeks leading up to the raids on Cohen's offices, hotel room, and home in early April.”

NBC cited “one person with direct knowledge” of the matter.

Sessions's deputy at the Justice Department, Rod Rosenstein, reportedly signed off on the Cohen raid after prosecutors in New York received a criminal referral from special counsel Robert Mueller.

The NBC report also stated that “at least one phone call between a phone line associated with Cohen and the White House was intercepted” by law enforcement.

Before the furor over the wiretap erupted Thursday, Giuliani dropped a bombshell by telling Sean Hannity of Fox News Channel on Wednesday evening that the president reimbursed Cohen for the $130,000 that the attorney paid to adult-film actress Stormy Daniels a short time before the 2016 presidential election.

Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One last month that he was not aware of the payments to Daniels and that he did not know where Cohen had gotten the money.

Trump is battling on several legal fronts, including the Cohen matter, the ongoing Russia investigation led by Mueller and accusations of sexual misconduct from women.

Giuliani reiterated in his phone call with The Hill that Trump was aware in general terms that the former New York City mayor was going to put out the version of events he presented on “Hannity” — though not exactly when he would do so.

As if to push back against those who suggested that he had committed a gaffe, Giuliani said he had spoken to the president “several times” since his Wednesday evening Fox News appearance.

Asked if Trump was content with his performance, Giuliani responded: “Yep.”

Giuliani also hit back at criticism — including from fired FBI Director James Comey — about his use of the term “stormtroopers” in relation to the FBI raids last month on Cohen’s home, office and hotel room.

On Twitter, Comey wrote: “I know the New York FBI. There are no 'stormtroopers' there; just a group of people devoted to the rule of law and the truth. Our country would be better off if our leaders tried to be like them, rather than comparing them to Nazis.”

Giuliani countered that he had not made a Nazi comparison, arguing, “there are stormtroopers all over.”

But, he added, “If you don’t like it, don’t act that way.”
Click to expand...
 
Sharpshoeter13 said:
It won't be surprising if it took the whole term :smh:
Click to expand...
Agreed. Let's look at some timelines from other major investigations in modern US political history. See bottom of post for the tl;dr summary.

The Watergate timeline starts on June 17 in 1972 with the arrests of the 5 men who broke in the DNC headquarters to bug their offices.
Special counsel Archibald Cox was appointed on May 18 1973. The Saturday night massacre followed on October 20 in the same year.
The first special counsel only lasted 5 months due to the saturday night massacre. A new special counsel was appointed on November 1 1973 to replace Cox.
The House began their impeachment proceedings against Nixon on May 9 1974 and Nixon a few months later resigned on August 8 1974.
Timeline of the whole Watergate scandal: A little over 2 years from June 17 1972 to August 8 1974.


In the Iran Contra investigation, a special counsel was appointed on December 19 1986 to investigate Iran/Contra affairs.
I'm not that familiar with the details in this case and when the congressional probes started.
On November 19 of 1987, the congressional committees investigating the Iran/Contra case published their report. The special counsel's final report was published on August 4 1993.
Timeline of Iran/Contra: Nearly 7 years from December 19 1986 to August 4 1993.



Kenneth Starr was appointed as special counsel in 1994 to continue the Whitewater investigation. As we all know, that investigation ended up in a very different place than an Arkansas real estate deal. Starr released his final report on September 11 1998.
Timeline between the special counsel appointment of Kenneth Starr and the release of his final report: 4 years


The Benghazi investigation(s) started with the opening of an FBI investigation around September 13 2012.
Many congressional investigations, hearings and subpoenas followed, most notably by the House Oversight Committee and the subsequent Select Committee on Benghazi that was established on May 2 2014.
The House Oversight Committee had already began its own investigation in October 2012.
The Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs also joined in during October 2012 and announced they would be conducting a bipartisan investigation.
House Republicans released a report about the Benghazi investigations in April 2013 but the story doesn't end there yet.
August 2013 saw the DOJ issue its first criminal charge related to the Benghazi incident, against a Libyan military leader.
As mentioned earlier, the Select Committee on Benghazi was formed on May 2014. Chairman Gowdy released a 15 page interim report on May 8 2015.
The Committee's final report was finalized on July 8 2016 and officially publicized on December 7 2016.
Timeline of the Benghazi investigations: A little over 4 years, starting from September 2012 and ending on December 7 2016.





Alright, now let's look at the timeline of the Russia investigations and when they were triggered:
- The FBI's counter-intelligence investigation started on July 31 2016.
- The Senate Intel Committee followed and opened its investigation on January 10 2017.
- The House Intel Committee opened their investigation on March 1 2017.
- Special counsel Mueller was appointed on May 17 2017.
Somewhere inbetween those timeframes there were also investigations opened by the Senate Judiciary Committee and House Oversight Committee but I'm not sure on the dates.
In the case of Mueller's investigation, it hasn't even been a full year yet since Mueller's appointment. Take a good look at Mueller's mandate and the broad scope of the investigation, look at the number of indictments and guilty pleas and then brush up on US political history and take a look at similarly large and controversial investigations.





I'll briefly summarize the timelines here below for a tl;dr.
The start of the primary current Russia investigations:
- The FBI's counter-intelligence investigation started on July 31 2016.
- The Senate Intel Committee followed and opened its investigation on January 10 2017.
- The House Intel Committee opened their investigation on March 1 2017. (And subsequently closed it in March 2018)
- Special counsel Mueller was appointed on May 17 2017.

The timelines of other similarly large and controversial investigations in US political history:
Watergate: A little over 2 years
Iran/Contra: A few months short of 7 years
Kenneth Starr (Whitewater/Lewinsky): ~4 years
Benghazi investigations: A few months past 4 years


While Mueller's probe is proceeding and producing results at an incredible pace, it's important to set realistic expectations in terms of a timeline.
Even the similarly large and controversial investigation with the shortest timeline comes in at over 2 years. While it certainly doesn't feel that way, Mueller still hasn't been in office for a full year yet, though that's coming later this month.
 
That seems like a hell of a lot of subpoenas for witnesses etc.
http://thehill.com/policy/national-...dditional-70-blank-subpoenas-in-manafort-case
Mueller requests 70 blank subpoenas in Manafort case
Special counsel Robert Mueller is requesting 70 blank subpoenas ahead of the trial of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort.

Mueller is making the request for the subpoenas in the Alexandria, Va., court where Manafort is facing trial on several charges, including bank fraud.

A spokesman for the special counsel confirmed to The Hill that the filing is an additional set of requests, after prosecutors previously requested 35 sets of blank subpoenas for the trial.

Manafort is facing several charges of bank fraud and money laundering, including 18 criminal charges in Virginia federal court. He is also facing five charges in D.C.

Manafort has pleaded not guilty to the charges. The trial is set to begin July 10.
Click to expand...
 
Sharpshoeter13 said:
It won't be surprising if it took the whole term :smh:
Click to expand...
If charges are brought after Trump is out of office, he can't use his veto power and he loses a lot of his other protections.

So Dems take House in the fall, greatly weakening any Republican moves until 2019, when they then use Turtle's lame duck logic to be obstructionist, and then win back presidency in 2020, just in time for Mueller to imprison the entire Trump family for treason in 2021.
 
Belgium said:
Agreed. Let's look at some timelines from other major investigations in modern US political history. See bottom of post for the tl;dr summary.

The Watergate timeline starts on June 17 in 1972 with the arrests of the 5 men who broke in the DNC headquarters to bug their offices.
Special counsel Archibald Cox was appointed on May 18 1973. The Saturday night massacre followed on October 20 in the same year.
The first special counsel only lasted 5 months due to the saturday night massacre. A new special counsel was appointed on November 1 1973 to replace Cox.
The House began their impeachment proceedings against Nixon on May 9 1974 and Nixon a few months later resigned on August 8 1974.
Timeline of the whole Watergate scandal: A little over 2 years from June 17 1972 to August 8 1974.


In the Iran Contra investigation, a special counsel was appointed on December 19 1986 to investigate Iran/Contra affairs.
I'm not that familiar with the details in this case and when the congressional probes started.
On November 19 of 1987, the congressional committees investigating the Iran/Contra case published their report. The special counsel's final report was published on August 4 1993.
Timeline of Iran/Contra: Nearly 7 years from December 19 1986 to August 4 1993.



Kenneth Starr was appointed as special counsel in 1994 to continue the Whitewater investigation. As we all know, that investigation ended up in a very different place than an Arkansas real estate deal. Starr released his final report on September 11 1998.
Timeline between the special counsel appointment of Kenneth Starr and the release of his final report: 4 years


The Benghazi investigation(s) started with the opening of an FBI investigation around September 13 2012.
Many congressional investigations, hearings and subpoenas followed, most notably by the House Oversight Committee and the subsequent Select Committee on Benghazi that was established on May 2 2014.
The House Oversight Committee had already began its own investigation in October 2012.
The Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs also joined in during October 2012 and announced they would be conducting a bipartisan investigation.
House Republicans released a report about the Benghazi investigations in April 2013 but the story doesn't end there yet.
August 2013 saw the DOJ issue its first criminal charge related to the Benghazi incident, against a Libyan military leader.
As mentioned earlier, the Select Committee on Benghazi was formed on May 2014. Chairman Gowdy released a 15 page interim report on May 8 2015.
The Committee's final report was finalized on July 8 2016 and officially publicized on December 7 2016.
Timeline of the Benghazi investigations: A little over 4 years, starting from September 2012 and ending on December 7 2016.





Alright, now let's look at the timeline of the Russia investigations and when they were triggered:
- The FBI's counter-intelligence investigation started on July 31 2016.
- The Senate Intel Committee followed and opened its investigation on January 10 2017.
- The House Intel Committee opened their investigation on March 1 2017.
- Special counsel Mueller was appointed on May 17 2017.
Somewhere inbetween those timeframes there were also investigations opened by the Senate Judiciary Committee and House Oversight Committee but I'm not sure on the dates.
In the case of Mueller's investigation, it hasn't even been a full year yet since Mueller's appointment. Take a good look at Mueller's mandate and the broad scope of the investigation, look at the number of indictments and guilty pleas and then brush up on US political history and take a look at similarly large and controversial investigations.





I'll briefly summarize the timelines here below for a tl;dr.
The start of the primary current Russia investigations:
- The FBI's counter-intelligence investigation started on July 31 2016.
- The Senate Intel Committee followed and opened its investigation on January 10 2017.
- The House Intel Committee opened their investigation on March 1 2017. (And subsequently closed it in March 2018)
- Special counsel Mueller was appointed on May 17 2017.

The timelines of other similarly large and controversial investigations in US political history:
Watergate: A little over 2 years
Iran/Contra: A few months short of 7 years
Kenneth Starr (Whitewater/Lewinsky): ~4 years
Benghazi investigations: A few months past 4 years


While Mueller's probe is proceeding and producing results at an incredible pace, it's important to set realistic expectations in terms of a timeline.
Even the similarly large and controversial investigation with the shortest timeline comes in at over 2 years. While it certainly doesn't feel that way, Mueller still hasn't been in office for a full year yet, though that's coming later this month.
Click to expand...

Quite extensive and great research, Belgium Belgium

Two years ain't bad, but with new shenanigans popping up it's gonna be hard to keep track of whatever priorities Mueller has to focus on. I think he's just collecting more pieces of evidence so when that fateful day comes, Mueller bout to serve em up and Trump will be fitting his prison garb:pimp:
 
people don't understand how important it is to vote, especially this year.
we can sit here and make memes and laugh about the evangelicals, hypocrites, and racists right but the thing is, they get off their *** and head to the polls and vote. people gotta stop being lazy, apathetic, or just plain foolish by reasoning why they don't need to vote or how it's ok to vote independent or libertarian. we need more people to:
1. register to vote.
2. get educated.
3. get out and cast your vote.
 
GREATEST AD EVER (apologies to Herman Cain's "I am America" epic masterpiece):



I want to commend aepps20 aepps20 for putting together this advertisement for Don Blackenship, a former coal executive running for the West Virginia Senate.

His name was officially changed from Dan Whiteboat to Don Blackenlungs at the 2018 Coal Gang Convention of America, held deep underground in the Coal Mines of Manhattan. He was conferred this HONORIFIC for his ROLL in the Upper Big Branch Mine disaster, in which 31 coal miners acquired the BLACK LUNG due to Blackenlungs amazing work. However, only 2 miners survived because 29 of them were full of TOO MUCH LIBBIE CONJECTURE AND INNUENDO and thus are no longer with us.

#cocainemitchmustgo
#swampcaptainmitchmcconnellismentallyill
#chinapeoplegotourjobs
#forthesakeofthekids
 
Last edited:
whywesteppin said:
GREATEST AD EVER (apologies to Herman Cain's "I am America" epic masterpiece):



I want to commend aepps20 aepps20 for putting together this advertisement for Don Blackenship, a former coal executive running for the West Virginia Senate.

His name was officially changed from Dan Whiteboat to Don Blackenlungs at the 2018 Coal Gang Convention of America, held deep underground in the Coal Mines of Manhattan. He was conferred this HONORIFIC for his ROLL in the Upper Big Branch Mine disaster, in which 31 coal miners acquired the BLACK LUNG due to Blackenlungs amazing work. However, only 2 miners survived because 29 of them were full of TOO MUCH LIBBIE CONJECTURE AND INNUENDO and thus are no longer with us.
Click to expand...


Thank you so much for the props. Best part about the production value of this ad is that I was able to capture the #SmashMouthPolitics we need. Don worked off the jab in the early rounds of the commercial and scored a KO against LIBS.
 


I cant even keep up with the new stories or cant tell if Im reposting old ones
dwill.png
 
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